“Boss, there’s a small fish stall up ahead. They’ve got both big and small fish, looks like dozens of catties. Do you want to buy them all?”
Zheng Kui rushed into town with a few of his most trusted followers, frantically searching and buying up live fish, preparing to fill the gap for the Qian Family first.
Though the town had all the essentials, the place was only so big and there were only so many people.
To suddenly buy several hundred catties of fish without pre-ordering was truly a challenge.
This stall sold a little here and there, and so did that one.
And fish sales always happened early; he’d already arrived a bit late.
He’d thought that, since it rained hard yesterday and the water rose, there’d be more people selling fish today, but when he got to the market, he barely saw two sellers.
Most likely, everyone was busy dealing with their own houses and paddy fields.
Zheng Kui was growing anxious when he heard his man report about the fish but hadn’t bought them yet. He raised his hand and slapped him: “Are my words useless now? Didn’t I tell you to buy all the live fish at today’s market? Why are you still asking? You want others to buy them up and leave me dead, is that it?”
The errand boy clutched his head, grumbling,
“I wouldn’t dare, but that Old Widower is asking a high price for his fish and won’t bargain.”
Zheng Kui’s brow furrowed tightly: “What kind of magic fish is this that he won’t drop the price?”
With that, he stormed off to the spot his follower mentioned.
From a distance, he saw an old man sitting at a makeshift stall.
He strode over and peered into the half-full bucket.
The two- or three-inch-long carp and crucian carp were lively; when he shook the bucket, the fish immediately flicked their tails and darted to the other end.
A dense heap of fish backs floated on the water’s surface—roughly thirty or forty by a quick count.
The quantity was one thing, but what mattered most was that Zheng Kui noticed these fish were about the same size as the batch in the boss’s pond.
“How much for your fish?”
The Old Widower crossed his arms and replied,
“Small fish are priced by the piece, big fish by weight.”
Zheng Kui snapped impatiently,
“Quit playing games and just name your price. I’m not short on money.”
“Small fish, twenty wen each. Big fish, forty wen per catty.”
Zheng Kui’s eyes widened: “Why don’t you just rob me! These little fish weigh barely three or five taels and you want twenty wen apiece? Are you selling koi?”
Catching fish was hard and prices weren’t low, but even at the Fish Market, fish were two or three wen cheaper.
Small fish of this size were usually fifteen or sixteen wen.
While a few wen used to be nothing, this time he needed over a hundred catties at once.
Paying two or three wen more per fish meant twenty or thirty wen more for ten catties, and hundreds more for a hundred catties.
He had saved up some money over the years, but spending it all without food, clothing, or enjoyment just to settle this matter still made his heart ache.
Yet the Old Widower wasn’t angry.
Instead, he calmly said,
“Young man, these are pond-raised fish. I feed them grass and catch bugs for them every day. They’re a bit pricier than at the Fish Market, but look how sturdy and fresh they are—I think they’re worth it.”
“I’m not forcing you to buy. If you think the price is fair, buy them. I’m happy to sell. If not, don’t be upset—just don’t buy.”
It’s hard to hit a smiling man.
Though Zheng Kui was fuming inside, he had no other choice.
Normally, he’d just turn and leave, but today he had to buy enough fresh fish quickly to patch up the Qian Family’s mess—otherwise, how could Zhao Guangzong possibly let him off?
Zheng Kui gritted his teeth and lowered his pride: “Fine, I’ll take all your fish. Can’t you give me a little discount?”
“All of them?”
The Old Widower tilted his head, not quite believing it.
“All of them.”
“If you want them all, I’ll drop the price by one wen for both big and small fish.”
Zheng Kui felt mocked and snapped,
“Why am I wasting my breath with you!”
With that, he flung his sleeve and left.
“Boss, boss.”
The errand boy chased after him: “Word from the brothers at the Fish Market—they’ve bought all they could, but it’s still not enough. The vendors say for large batches, you need to order in advance. Can we wait until tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? By tomorrow, Zhao Guangzong will have kicked me out of the Qian Family!”
He had to make sure that by the time Zhao Guangzong went to complain at the Qian Family, he’d already made up for it and begged forgiveness from the boss.
Nothing ever went smoothly—
Zheng Kui gritted his teeth,
“Go, buy up all that old man’s fish.”
“Yes.”
The Old Widower didn’t mock them for changing their minds.
Smiling, he handed over all his fish.
Once the money was counted and no problems found, he returned his empty bucket to the woodworking shop, then slipped into the crowd and soon disappeared without a trace.
“Forty small fish, seven hundred sixty wen; eight catties of big fish, three hundred twelve wen; total, one thousand seventy-two wen.”
That Old Widower handed all the fish money to a young couple waiting in an alley.
“Take a look, isn’t it right?”
With seventy-two copper coins to a tael of silver, it was easy to count.
Cao Wen took out fifty wen and handed it to the Old Widower: “Thank you.”
The Old Widower quickly accepted the money with a grin.
He hadn’t hawked or waited long—just watched the stall for a bit and earned fifty wen.
Such good fortune was rare.
He couldn’t stop smiling—this trip to the market was a windfall.
Afraid someone might change their mind, the Old Widower took the money and said,
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome. I’ll be off then.”
He left.
Cao Wen put the money into his pouch, watching the Old Widower walk off before turning back to see Xu Duoyan staring at him motionlessly.
He paused: “What, do you think what I did was too heartless?”
Xu Duoyan raised her brows slightly: “Going out in stormy weather to help him catch the fish that escaped from his pond, and then even hiring someone to return them—if the owner gives some reward, that’s only fair.”
Cao Wen grinned, showing his canine tooth: “Are you speaking up for me?”
Xu Duoyan neither confirmed nor denied, only said,
“Since we got so much for our trouble, you should treat us to a meal.”
Seeing her turn and walk ahead, Cao Wen hurried after her: “Treat, of course I’ll treat!”
He’d been worried about how to turn the fish into money, but now things had taken a turn for the better—though it was a big sum.
The two went off together to buy what they’d planned for today.
Cao Wen originally wanted to treat Xu Duoyan to a meal at a restaurant, but remembering Lu Lingbi at home, he decided to be frugal and bought two catties of pork to take back.
By the time they got home with everything, it was nearly noon.
Lu Lingbi had slept for a while.
When she woke, she found herself alone in the house and yard.
Other than not being in her own home, she wasn’t uncomfortable—she was used to being alone, handling illness and fatigue by herself, and knew how to take care of herself.
She walked out, steadying herself on the wall, and basked in the sun for a while in the yard.
Seeing a hen with colorful feathers, she rested a bit and, feeling a bit better, dragged out the half-finished Chicken Coop piled in the eaves to work on it again.
Her body was still weak, so her movements were slow but skillful and meticulous.
By the time Cao Wen and Xu Duoyan returned, the Chicken Coop’s fence was already finished.
Seeing the two come back—one empty-handed in front, the other loaded with bags—
Lu Lingbi put down her things and stood up.
“Mother, why did you come out!”
Xu Duoyan rushed over in a few quick steps to support her.
Lu Lingbi looked at the suddenly lively courtyard, the corners of her mouth curving up.
She patted Xu Duoyan’s hand: “I’m fine. Being cooped up inside all the time isn’t good. If you’re not dizzy, lying down all day just makes you groggy. A bit of sun actually clears the mind.”
Cao Wen set down the purchases under the eaves, then looked at the finely woven fence on the ground and praised without reservation: “Auntie, your hands are amazing—this is even better than what the Workshop Craftsman could do.”
Lu Lingbi replied politely,
“Then you can leave the Chicken Coop work to me.”
“Great! I bought the hen hoping to collect more eggs and hatch chicks later. Auntie, you can make the Chicken Coop bigger so we can keep all the chickens together. After a while, we can even raise some ducks.”
Cao Wen agreed readily, even making suggestions and plans.
He didn’t expect Lu Lingbi to do much work; what mattered was giving her something to do to pass the time.
In a strange environment, if the hosts were too polite, it could make people anxious.
But if there’s work to do, there’s no time to think too much, and after a while, a sense of belonging forms.
And with belonging, affection follows…
Lu Lingbi looked at the lone hen and asked in surprise,
“How can you hatch chicks with only a hen and eggs?”
Cao Wen and Xu Duoyan both widened their eyes at her words.
Seeing their blank stares, Lu Lingbi found it quite funny and dropped some of her guard, patiently explaining,
“You need a rooster. Only then can the hen’s eggs be hatched into chicks.”
“Ah…”
Cao Wen had never thought about this—he figured if you had eggs and a hen, chicks would come.
He coughed: “I’ll go buy a rooster from Ping Nong this afternoon.”
Lu Lingbi smiled and nodded.
Xu Duoyan was a little surprised—she hadn’t known her mother understood how to raise poultry.
She always thought raising them was too much trouble, and when her mother had mentioned it, she immediately refused.
After that, her mother never brought it up again.
She’d always thought they felt the same about it, but maybe not.
Suddenly, she realized that though mother and child had depended on each other all these years, she was busy making a living and her mother rarely spoke up, afraid of causing more trouble.
Maybe they didn’t really know each other that well.
Thinking of this, she felt a pang of guilt.
When she snapped out of it, Cao Wen was already following Lu Lingbi, asking about raising poultry and hatching chicks.
“I’ve got nothing to do anyway. Looking after two chickens is no trouble.”
“You’re always busy outside. No need to worry about these little things.”
“No, no, my parents died early. I grew up climbing trees and catching fish with the village kids, but never learned anything useful—ended up living like this. Since it’s not too late, I’ll have to trouble you, Auntie.”
“Last time I had your Pickled Vegetables, I thought they were amazing. I wanted Ah Yan to teach me, but she said she didn’t know how. Now, I can only learn from you.”
Lu Lingbi smiled,
“You’ve got a sweet tongue—making Pickled Vegetables sound like a delicacy.”
“I mean it. When I was away from home, other families would bring meals for their kids, and there’d be Pickled Vegetables in their lunch boxes. When they weren’t looking, I’d sneak a bite. I still remember that taste. Your pickles taste just like that—absolutely delicious.”
Lu Lingbi suddenly remembered Cao Wen’s background and was momentarily stunned.
Seeing him still grinning, she felt he really was a simple, honest kid.
No wonder Zheng Kui led him astray.
She looked at Cao Wen with more tenderness: “If you like them, I’ll make more. They’re just simple summer dishes, easy to prepare.”
“Great, great! I’ll have a feast and no longer have to eat plain Porridge.”
Xu Duoyan stood behind them and quietly let out a breath.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think this kid was her mother’s real son.
And this brat—was he complaining about the Porridge she made before?
He sure didn’t eat any less, though!